


The Awkward and Most Tragic Tale of Louis and Harry

by Celebrate_the_irony



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Romeo and Juliet AU, School Play AU, partly I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 06:18:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1459069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celebrate_the_irony/pseuds/Celebrate_the_irony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You know what fuck the lark, Juliet is about to get herself laid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Awkward and Most Tragic Tale of Louis and Harry

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so just a warning a lot of the dialogue in this is from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . Louis's internal monologue is not in Shakespearean so i hope it makes it easier to understand idk.

Tonight is the night. They have been rehearsing for weeks and weeks and tonight is opening night. Louis has never been more nervous in his life, particularly considering he is about to go out in front of the entire school wearing a dress. This is the problem with going to an all-boys school and the drama teacher insists on a Shakespeare. Louis was Juliet, he never asked for this role he wanted to be Mercutio because everyone loves Mercutio. But Zayn was cast as Mercutio and during rehearsals Louis could see why, Zayn was funny and he could master the fighting scenes. Fencing was not Louis’s strong point; he can barely handle the dagger at the end. He can’t even begin to count the amount of times he has actually stabbed himself.

Although he doesn’t blame himself for actually stabbing himself considering who his Romeo is. The insufferable Harry Styles, not once has he taken rehearsals seriously and Louis would consider it a miracle if he knew a quarter of his lines. He constantly makes up his own poetry instead of the actual lines during the first scene where Rom and Jule meet. And by poetry Louis means horrible limericks such as “I think of you while the firelight flickers/ I sit and think of your black lace knickers”. Louis would think Shakespeare would be spinning in his grave. The teacher praises him for creative use of iambic pentameter whenever he does it. Louis is ready to strangle the both of them.

Anyway, it’s opening night. Louis has got his costume on and his wig looks the best it’s ever going to look. He’s sitting in the wings while Gregory and Sampson bite their thumb but not at the Capulets sir. He’s sitting next to Niall who is playing the nurse but at the moment he is playing Angry Birds. Niall has so many pillows shoved up his dress that he hasn’t noticed that Louis has been using him as a headrest for the last ten minutes. Liam is standing around waiting for his cue; he’s Tybalt which Louis thought was an odd casting decision, but then when Liam shouted his first line _Look upon thy death_ Louis knew the teacher made the right decision. Also Liam and Zayn are dating which just adds to the sexual tension between Tybalt and Mercutio.

_You know not what you do_ Benvolio says and Liam is off. It’s only Louis, Niall and Harry now on this side of the wings. Harry’s playing on his phone calmly, Louis wonders how he can be so calm when he doesn’t know any of his lines or blocking. Louis would be shitting himself right now if he was Harry. It gets up to the conversation between Benvolio and the Montagues and Harry stands up. He cracks his neck and his knuckles and looks over at Louis. He grins at him and whispers “Wish me luck Bright Angel” before leaving the wings to go to the stage. Why did he call Louis Bright Angel? That’s not a nickname Louis is aware of having, why would anyone…. bright angel…. that’s what Romeo calls Juliet in the balcony scene. Louis may have underestimated Harry, but only a little bit. Knowing one pet name doesn’t mean he’s fully redeemed, Louis is still expecting him to crash and burn.

Except he doesn’t, he’s reached the end of his two scenes while perfectly remembering his lines and his blocking. Louis is slightly stunned. He’s still stunned when it’s his turn to go on stage. Niall delivers the nurses big bumbling monologue with all the grace of a duck on crutches, which is absolutely perfect for the monologue and makes everyone laugh. Louis doesn’t have many lines in this scene, it’s mostly the Niall’s moment to shine. When the scenes over he goes back to the wings where he’s greeted by a big thumbs up from Harry. Louis smiles back at him still a bit baffled over who is this new and improved Harry and what happened to the old one? Harry walks out on stage behind Zayn who is strutting over to his mark. Louis sits down next to Niall and they give each other a fist bump, Louis isn’t sure why but it seems appropriate.

It’s _that_ scene, the kissing scene; Louis is panicking slightly, what if Harry forgets his lines? What if Harry forgets that he’s supposed to kiss Louis? What if Harry is better than Louis? No Louis has to calm down this isn’t getting him anywhere. He’s already onstage, he’s stand slightly stage right waiting for Harry to notice him and do his big thing of _I ne’er saw true beauty til this night_. Capulet has finished his big introduction and walks offstage leaving Harry who’s staring at Louis like there is nothing else on stage. He lightly grabs the arm of a passing servant not breaking his gaze at Louis for one moment

“What lady’s that which doth enrich the hand of yonder night?” Harry says urgently as though he might die if he didn’t know who Louis was.

“I know not, sir.” The servant says and wanders off. Harry takes no notice of him and continues his gaze at Louis

“O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!” Harry says in a breathless whisper.

Louis is does his best to ignore Harry but he finds himself blushing. Which has never happened before, this is not intentional, what the fuck is happening to Louis? While he’s panicking Harry finishes his speech and Liam does his evil thing. Before Louis knows it Harry has taken his hand and stage whispers in Louis’s ear.

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentler sin is this; my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” Harry says. Louis turns to face the man that has suddenly started to hit on him.

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.” Louis says coyly and looks Harry in the eye. Louis is very much trying to control the butterflies that have started to buzz about in his tummy.

“Have not saints lips, and holy palmers, too?” Harry says and smiles slightly. Louis has realised that Harry is about to kiss Louis in about three lines time. Louis is not even the slightest bit prepared for this.

“Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer,” Louis corrects Harry. Harry is unperturbed about this correction and carries on with the seduction.

“O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do: they pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.” Harry says. Damn, that line delivery was so good that Louis needs to kiss him and kiss him now.

“Saints do not move, though grant for prayer’s sake,” Louis says, although slightly without meaning. He just wants to get to the kissing now; he is well and truly seduced.

“Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take” Harry says and leans in to kiss Louis. The teacher had actually told them to mime kissing because “it’s a catholic school do you want us to get angry letters from parents?” So when Louis was the one to kiss Harry, they all were a little taken aback. Harry pulled away from the kiss presumably in shock judging from the wide eyed look on his face. But he quickly recovers. “Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purged.” He says.

“Then have my lips the sins they took,” Louis says. God bless Juliet for being as thirsty as Louis is.

“Sins from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.” Harry says as though this is a life or death situation and kissing Louis is the only solution. This time though Harry was prepared and went straight in for the kiss. He took Louis by the back of his neck and pulled him close. He kissed him smack bang on the lips not even worrying about the children in the audience. He should have worried about the children in the audience because the moan that came out of Louis was downright pornographic. When they eventually pulled apart they still stayed close Harry hadn’t moved his hands from the crook of Louis’s neck.

“You kiss by the book,” Louis says gasping. They’re brought out of their little make out bubble when Niall bustles across the stage.

“Madam! Your mother craves a word with you.” He yells. Louis feels like murdering Niall. Who gives a shit about the play let’s get back to the kissing. Louis, feeling rather brave, pecks Harry on the cheek and takes his leave.

The rest of the play goes by in a blur, at least the rest of the play up until the consummation scene. He had trouble keeping his hands off of Harry throughout the balcony scene, he’s not going to do well when they are supposed to have just had sex. He’s just very lucky the drama teacher hasn’t had an aneurysm yet. Louis is on the balcony with Harry clinging to the railings looking all lovey dovey into Louis’s eyes.

“Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near fay. It was the nightingale, and not the lark, that pierced the fear-full hollow of thine ear. Nightly she sings on yon pom’granate tree. Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.” Louis begs. He thinks ahh fuck it and kisses Harry in an attempt to make him stay. Harry drags himself away.

“It was the lark, the herald of the morn, no nightingale. Look, love, what envious streaks do lace the severing clouds in yonder east. Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. I must be gone and live or stay and die.” Harry says and starts to climb down the rope. Louis grabs onto Harry’s arms he is not getting away that easily.

“Yon light is not daylight I know it, I. It is some meteor that the sun exhaled to be to thee this night a torchbearer and light thee on thy way to Mantua therefore stay yet thou need’st not to be gone.” Louis says. No that is definitely not the sun, that is a meteor duh Romeo. Good god Juliet is a thirsty woman. Not that Louis can blame her when she’s got a hunk like Romeo. Louis needs to stop thinking now.

During that internal monologue Harry said his bit about fine I’ll stay and Louis has forgotten his lines. No seriously it’s something like no you must go because of the lark. But Louis can’t remember the Shakespearean version. He’s frozen on the spot what the fuck is he going to do? Harry is still looking at him lovingly, Louis wonders if he’s acting or not. Louis certainly isn’t, although if anyone asks him after the show he was just in tune with the character of Juliet. No that isn’t helping what was the fucking line? No thou was right it was a lark??

You know what fuck the lark, Juliet is about to get herself laid again. Luckily Harry has climbed back over the railing in his speech about him staying which makes it so much easier for Louis to take his hand and pull him into a kiss. Harry kisses him back which surprises Louis. He’s not meant to be enjoying this, hell Louis isn’t supposed to be enjoying this but that’s not the point here. Louis wordlessly pulls away and leads him over to the door; Harry’s slightly dazed at this point. Louis goes to open it but Niall burst through the door with his hands covering his eyes.

“MADAM!” He screeches. And that was it. That was the last time Louis is allowed to make out with Harry. And Niall ruined it by screeching into Louis’ ear so loudly he can barely hear himself think. He supposes he could do it during the death scene but that would just make Juliet into necrophilia and nobody wants that. He will never ever kiss Harry again.

The rest of the play just sort of happened. Everyone died and it was sad. Louis saw his Mum crying in the audience when he took his bow with Harry. After the final bow Harry grabs Louis’ hand and drags him offstage. Harry led Louis to a quiet spot in the wings, Louis was preparing his excuse (“I was only acting,”) for when Harry asks him what the fuck was that about. But Harry just stares at him, Louis didn’t think he was that bad a kisser.  They are silent for a while when Louis breaks the silence with a thought that had been bugging him the entire night.

“Why did you kiss me back?” Louis asks.

“Because I like you,” Harry says as though Louis should already know this. Louis doesn’t already know this and he’s almost offended that Harry thinks he should.

“But you…. and I… I don’t understand….” Louis trails off confused. This isn’t meant to happen, Harry’s supposed to be going off with his mates and forgetting all about the boy who always looks like he may have an aneurysm any moment.

“I didn’t think you liked me though, you’re always glaring at me as though I’ve offended your psyche or something.” Harry says and then as an afterthought. “So why did you kiss me?”

“It’s in the script” Louis says avoiding the question. No, not doing this not today thank you. Louis is quite happy being sexual frustration personified; he doesn’t need this right now.

“Lou, you can say it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Louis says indignantly.  

“You know that if you admit it there will be kissing right?” Harry says.

“Harry Styles I love you, I love you so much that it physically pains me. There are stars that are not as bright as my love for you. There are mountains that aren’t as strong as the emotions I feel when you say my-“ Louis is cut off by  Harry rolling his eyes and kissing Louis.

And this time Niall was nowhere to be seen.


End file.
